Pokemon Steel!
by Alfredo2359
Summary: Stu is an adventurous boy from Littleroot Town in the Hoenn region who must start his Pokemon journey. Excitement awaits Stu as he makes his way across the Hoenn region meeting new people and Pokemon. Many things are uncertain for the young boy, but one thing has always been clear. Stu will train with his Pokemon until he defeats his brother and becomes the Hoenn League Champion.


Pokémon Steel

Chapter 1: Tomorrow

A single beam of sunlight shone upon a wooden pole as the sun set in Littleroot Town. A series of heavy breaths filled the warm air, followed by the rich timber of a young male voice. "Now use Force Palm, Lucario!" Upon hearing the command the Pokémon quickly locked eyes with its trainer and executed a nod of assurance. With his eyes now focused on his target, the Pokémon leapt forward in a flash of blue and yellow. His footsteps became quicker and lighter until they became completely silent as it drew closer. Then, in an almost immediate instant, the Lucario flipped his body towards the wooden target as he thrust his arm forward. The clatter of smashing wood filled the room as his fur made contact with the pole. The Pokémon remained still on bended knee as splinters and chips showered the floor beneath it. The Pokémon looked over its shoulder and glared directly into the eyes of its trainer. In that instant its eyes gleamed with both pride and severity. The young trainer's eyes met those of its Pokémon with a sense of approval and joy. The trainer smiled in excitement from the sheer awe of the Pokémon's speed and strength. The trainer dashed towards his Pokémon and filled the room with yells of encouragement and triumph. "Hah! That's the stuff buddy! That was the best one yet," he yelled while he wrapped his Pokémon in his cloth covered arms as a reward for its performance. The duo stared into each other's proud eyes and exchanged a nod. The trainer peered over across the room, remembering the younger boy who sat in its corner. "You see that Stu," he asked, as he gestured towards the crouching boy, "You should try to train your Pokémon to be that strong." The boy in the corner ran a gentle finger through the thicket of his brown mop of hair, uncovering one of his auburn eyes, and issued a small nod to indicate his understanding.

Stu smiled back to his brother and uttered a familiar response. "Sure, maybe one day, John. If I can get my hands on a Pokémon of my own that is." Stu knew that his brother's Lucario was strong. He also knew that his brother was as strong a trainer as there possibly could be. It was impossible for Stu to escape the superiority of his brother's expertise. Stu's brother had begun his journey six years ago and Stu had present for every step of his brother's rise to victory and honor. When John brought his Pokémon home for the very first time Stu had high hopes that he would be able to play and train in order to befriend it as he knew John would. Unfortunately, contact with John's Pokémon rarely led to anything more than a condescending look aimed at Stu from the Pokémon. John's Pokémon seemed to resent Stu, but none more so than Lucario. Lucario was always a proud Pokémon and he would not trust any trainer that was not John. But Stu could not keep his mind on John's unamicable Pokémon for long today, for today was his 10th birthday. This birthday was unlike any other birthday that Stu had ever had. He did not receive many gifts on this particular birthday. He received a new set of travelling clothes from his mother, who assisted Professor Birch as a Pokémon researcher, an old book titled "Pokémon Types and Their Effectiveness" that his brother had found on one of his most recent journeys to the Johto region, and a new pair of running shoes that his father had sent from Sootopolis City, where he had recently taken the title of gym leader after the previous gym leader decided to retire. These gifts were indeed gracious and excited Stu, but a greater gift loomed on the horizon for him. Stu had been waiting for this gift's arrival since the day he learned about the world of Pokémon. This existed within the knowledge that he would start his very own Pokémon journey tomorrow just as his mother and father had promised him all those years ago.

Stu had been visualizing his adventure since he awoke on that morning. Before he took his morning bath he rationalized that he would choose Mudkip, The Mud Fish Pokémon, as his starter Pokémon. While running through the town he figured that he would travel from Littleroot Town to Petalburg City where he would earn his first gym badge. But most importantly, during his brother's training session, he decided that he would lead a grand adventure until he would ultimately compete in the Pokémon League and challenge his brother for the title of Pokémon League Champion. Stu could see only glory ahead of him. "Feeling excited to finally start your journey?" his brother asked as he and his Lucario finished picking up the remains of their training targets. "No need to answer. I can see you are from that absent look on your face." Stu blinked as he focused his eyes away from ambition and back onto his brother and his Pokémon. "It's getting pretty late, Stu. You should go ahead and go off to bed before you get lost in your thoughts. You'll need the rest if you're going to wake up early tomorrow. After all, if you wake up late Professor Birch will surely run out of Pokémon for you to pick from." Stu thought about that possibility for a second and stood up anxiously. Stu certainly did not want to be late. After all, he had once heard of a boy from the Kanto region who had woken up late. That boy had to start his journey with a misbehaved Pikachu. Having a misbehaved Pokémon was the last thing Stu wanted. He wanted his Pokémon to listen to every single one of his commands obediently, so he could be seen as a competent trainer just like John. "You're right. I'll go to bed right away!' Stu fired back in response to his brother's suggestion.

Stu exited the building and ran through the beaten path that led from the training shack towards his house. His feet pushed against the dirt faster than ever before with an excited force that filled his entire body. His legs lifted upwards like wings. After just a few hundred feet Stu felt his legs burn with fatigue, but that feeling was dwarfed by the joy he felt knowing that his journey was only one more sleep cycle away. After some more running and adventure planning Stu finally arrived at his home. He slammed the door open with a unique swiftness and hastily made his way inside and up the stairs to his room. "Welcome to the world of Pokémon!" he thought to himself as he removed his training clothes and dressed himself in his Blue Squirtle patterned pajamas that were lain on the floor almost as if they were placed there with strategy in mind. The words of Professor Birch echoed in his head as he recalled the speech that is given to all young Pokémon trainers as they begin their journeys. Stu repeated the speech several times while he played with his cherished Cubone toy and then promptly climbed into his Charizard themed bed. Stu gave his darkened room one final glance before going to sleep. He thought about how childish his room seemed on that night. He glared at his Delibird lamp, his Zigzagoon chair, and his Taillow wallpaper and scoffed. Before these had been cheerful reminders of a Pokémon journey that was soon to come, but on this night they served no purpose other than to remind him that he had only been a pretend trainer. He cast these thoughts away and closed his eyes. His thoughts, now focused on his journey, raced rapidly in his mind. He thought of all of the sights he would soon see, of all of the Pokémon that he would encounter, and of all of the friends that he would meet on his journey. But most importantly, Stu thought about the pride that he would feel after he defeating his strong and courageous champion of a brother.

"Today's the day Stu!" John's cry filled the house like the light of day at dawn as he banged on his brother's bedroom door. The sound of the cry caused Stu to wake from his dream in a shock. "C'mon Stu. Mom had to go to work early today. That means that I'll be walking you over to Professor Birch's lab today and I will not be late to the ceremony." Before John could finish his rant, a fully dressed and prepared Stu ran out of the room, almost knocking John down in the process. "Well I certainly don't need to tell you twice," John uttered while chasing after Stu down the stairs and out of the door to their home. "Did you get all of your food, clothes, and supplies into your backpack?" John asked his brother. "Yea I did! Now hurry up so we can get to Professor Birch's lab quickly!" Stu's reply brought a playful laughter into John that was followed by a quick nuzzling of his little brother's hair. The rest of their walk was filled by silence and anticipation. Stu could not bother with conversation. His thoughts were only on the adventure that was staring before him. He had waited patiently for years for this day to come. Shivers ran through Stu's body. He could not tell if this was due to his own nervousness or because of the chilled morning air that moved through the town. As the duo travelled, Stu noticed a gathering of boys and girls walking behind them. At first this did not trouble him, but eventually the realization that these children were also about to start their journey dawned upon Stu. For a second he felt a surge of fear rise within him. Stu wondered whether there would be many more trainers waiting at the laboratory ahead of him. He questioned if the professor had enough Pokémon for all of the children. This fear caused Stu to tug at his brother's arm while he quickened his pace. The thought of losing the ability to choose a Pokémon to begin his journey with became more horrifying with each step. He decided that he had to beat all of the other children to the laboratory if he was to become a champion. Stu hastened his steps through the town until he finally arrived at Professor Birch's laboratory to discover that he was the first child to arrive.

Professor Birch was standing beside the door to his laboratory while smiling at the mass gathering of soon to be trainers. John and Stu eagerly approached the entrance to his laboratory. John naturally took the lead and greeted Professor Birch. "Hello, Professor Birch. I'm glad to see you. It's been a while since we last spoke," John said as he reached out his arm in preparation for a handshake. "It has been quite a while, John. The last time we spoke you weren't the Pokémon League Champion," Professor Birch enthusiastically said as he produced his hand from his white lab coat and firmly shook John's hand. Professor Birch noticed Stu shyly maintaining his distance and proceeded to greet him. "You must be, Stu, the younger brother that we've heard so much about." Stu nodded and shook his hand while trying his best not to take too much notice of the professor's distinct brown beard and then allowed his brother to continue conversing with Professor Birch as they entered his laboratory. Professor Birch always kept a neat workspace. The room the boys entered was filled with a multitude of computing equipment that few could make any sense of. Many graphs and displays of Pokémon anatomy and physiology lined the walls of the room. The machines and scientific equipment were joined by rows of book shelves that lined the room until its far right corner, where a podium that held three Poké Balls stood. As Professor Birch led the two brothers through the room he delivered his introductory speech, describing the nature of Pokémon and the trainer's role in a journey. Stu listened eagerly with his eyes fixated only on the podium in the corner of the room, where his destiny awaited. Once the trio reached the podium Stu felt anticipation brewing within him as he observed the wonderful spheres before him. The Poké balls were identical in every way to the six that his brother owned. Their red and white pattern was as iconic as the very creatures that they contained. They were equally identical in every single way, yet they differed in an infinite way. Professor Birch discussed the goal of Stu's journey in detail before Stu interrupted his informative speech. Stu's voice rose over the professor's as he asked, "Professor Birch! Can I pick any of these three Pokémon to take on my journey?" Professor Birch expelled an embellishing chuckle and responded. "Well, I suppose I can't keep you from your journey for much longer. Be my guest and select a Pokémon to take with you on your journey. Will it be Treecko, the Wood Gecko Pokémon, Torchic, The Chick Pokémon, or perhaps Mudkip, the Mud Fish Pokémon?" Stu stared intensely at the three Poké Balls while he thought strongly about the question and the choice that he was to make. He remembered his careful planning from the previous day and nodded to himself in an assured and confident manner. "I choose Mudkip! I want my starter pokemon to be a strong water type!" Stu said this partly to communicate his choice and partly to remind himself that it was what he wanted.

Professor Birch smiled and quickly uttered back to Stu, in an attempt to reinforce his choice, "Excellent! With the proper training any Mudkip can grow to become a strong and powerful Pokémon!" Stu's mouth opened in a wide smile as the professor's approval of his choice reached his ears. With Professor Birch's approval now secure, Stu grabbed Mudkip's Poké Ball and stared at the orb that sat in his hand. The professor grinned and drew a small red device from his lab coat. "Great! Now take this Pokédex! This device will allow you to gain information over every single Pokémon that you encounter on your journey. Learning about Pokémon is very important if you want to be a great trainer," he said as he offered the gadget in his hand to Stu. Stu glanced at the device and grabbed it. He examined the device slightly and placed it into his back pocket. John quickly interrupted the silence that filled the room. "Hey Stu, How about you show me how good of a trainer you are now? I know you've been waiting for years to battle me with a Pokémon of your own and now you have a chance." Stu stared at his brother's charismatic grin and summoned one of his own. "You're on John!"

With this declaration Stu leapt backwards and tossed his Poké Ball into the space between his brother and himself. After a second of time Stu's Mudkip appeared from the sphere in a flash of red energy. "Mudkip," said the Pokémon as it studied its surroundings carefully unaware of what was occurring. John stared at the Pokémon for a few seconds with a careful look on his face. "Alright, Snivy, You're up," he proclaimed while tossing an unusually blue Poké Ball into the battle area. Stu studied the Poké Ball intensely with more uncertainty than confidence in his eyes until a bright red beam emerged from the orb, releasing a small and green snakelike creature unlike any other Pokémon that Stu had ever seen. Snivy only softly uttered its name and locked eyes with its opponent. Stu and John followed suit and made eye contact. Their eyes were fixated only on each other. The intensity from their glare seemed to cause a surge of invisible electricity to fill the air. For what seemed like minutes neither of the opponents made a move. The brothers continued to stare at each other without making any movements. Suddenly, John took a short leap backwards and commanded his Pokémon. "Snivy, use Vine Whip!" The small Pokémon majestically leapt on command and produced a pair of long and slender vines from its body. It then reeled them backwards swiftly. Stu knew that he had to act if he was to avoid the attack, yet he was frozen in awe. Stu had seen this swiftness from his brother's Pokémon before, but never before had he seen it from this perspective. The gracefulness of the Snivy's movements captivated his thoughts. Stu quickly gathered his mind and made a move. "Mudkip, dodge Snivy's attack and counterattack with tackle!" the Mudkip flung its body to its right just as Snivy's attack was about to make contact with its body. The vine made a sharp snapping sound as it collided with the spot where Mudkip had been. A grin came across Stu's face as he realized that he was now at an advantage. He had seen his brother train for years and felt as if though he grew in skill alongside him. Stu was sure that this would be John's downfall. Without a second of time passing by, Stu's Mudkip landed on its feet and bolted forwards with all of its force; its attack was carefully aimed at Snivy.

A large thud filled the room as the speeding Mudkip made contact with Snivy's body. Snivy flew backwards and landed heavily on its feet with an angered look on its face. "Ha! Looks like I'll be a champion yet," proclaimed Stu as he enjoyed the satisfaction of having landed a successful blow against his brother. "Don't be so quick in your thoughts," his brother warned before commanding his Pokemon. "Snivy, use Razor Leaf!" Snivy produced a series of sharp looking leaves and hurled them at Mudkip with a speed greater than the wind. With a great fear in his voice Stu commanded his Pokémon to dodge the attack as it had before, but it was too late. The attack struck Mudkip with all of its force and sent the Pokémon hurling backwards towards Stu. It landed harshly on its side and rolled several times before finally managing to regain some balance. Mudkip struggled to get back up onto its feet for several seconds. Stu bit his lip and concentrated his eyes on the struggling Pokémon. In an extreme display of willpower, the Mudkip garnered the strength to stand tall again. It declared its name once more, but much louder and prouder than before. Stu looked on in amazement and admiration for his Pokémon's willpower and began to command it once again. "Good job, Mudkip! Now use Tackle again! But this time use all of your strength! Show John and Snivy that we're serious about winning!" The Pokémon paused for a second only to leap forward towards Snivy with an impressive speed. John nodded in admiration and commanded his Snivy back into battle. "Alright, Snivy let's show them why we're the champions of this region. Dodge Mudkip's attack and use Vine Whip!" Snivy waited for Mudkip to come closer and leapt out of its path just in time to dodge the attack. Mudkip looked upwards at its airborne opponent in confusion. Snivy once again produced its vines and sent them flying towards Mudkip with a mighty force. The attack struck Mudkip fiercely and produced a monstrously loud snapping sound. The sheer force of the attack sent Mudkip flying backwards towards Stu once again. After remaining on the ground for a few seconds Mudkip once again attempted to stand up onto its feet. The pokemon struggled for some time while shaking its body, but ultimately collapsed under its own weight. Mudkip had fainted.

Stu stared at the motionless Pokémon hoping that he could will it to regain its strength. As the seconds passed it became apparent to Stu that his efforts were futile. Stu had lost his first battle. This loss' sting worsened with each passing moment as Stu looked onward to find his brother and his Snivy celebrating. Stu drew back the hot tears that were brewing in his eyes and recalled his Pokémon. "Great job, Mudkip! Now get back inside your Poké Ball and get some rest." John, feeling the sting from his brother's loss, recalled his Pokémon as well. "Great work Snivy. Now back into your Poké ball. Hey, you didn't do so bad either Stu. You made a good call, but you were too eager to attack." Stu summoned a small chuckle to communicate his acceptance of the loss. "Yea, I guess you're right. Mudkip and I sure have a lot of work to do." With this exchange of words complete, the two brothers thanked Professor Birch and left the laboratory.

"So, how are you going to start your journey, Stu?" John asked with an encouraging smile marking his face as the brothers made their way throught the twon. Stu thought about the question shortly and remembered the plan that he had formulated. "I was thinking about going to Petalburg City. There's a gym there and I thought that I could get my first gym badge there." John looked at his brother's uncertain eyes while opening his backpack. He then rustled his arm around the inside of the space until he pulled out a map. "Here, take this town map. This will show you the entire Hoenn region. You sound pretty unsure about going to Petalburg City, Stu. You can't be unsure about these things now that you've started your journey. Petalburg City's gym leader, Norman, is a great trainer. But, since you're just starting out your journey I believe that you should try to challenge a gym that is a bit less challenging. You should head to Rustboro City and challenge the gym leader there." Stu nodded his head and accepted his brother's gift. Stu thought about what his brother had said to him. He was about to begin his journey. He had no room for error. He had to be able to be sure of all of his actions from that point onward if he wanted to be a champion. The duo walked onwards through the town. Suddenly, Stu felt the weight of the truth. He was about to leave his home, his memories, and his family behind. All of his childhood was about to be left at home in his room while he trained .However, the truth was just as bright as it was dark. Going on this journey would mean that he would no longer relax and watch John train with his Pokémon. Now it was Stu's turn to sweat with his Pokémon. It would be him who would yell words of encouragement as his Pokémon achieved impressive feats. More importantly, it would be Stu that would be called a champion and not his brother.

Stu looked at his brother and saw a calm determination in his eyes. "Where are you going now John?" Stu's brother paused for a second with a hesitant look before he responded. "I'm actually going to make my way over to the Kalos region. There's a professor there who wants me to help him with some of his research." His brother's response made Stu uneasy. He knew his brother would not travel with him, but knowing that he would not be in the same region as him made him nervous. "When will I see you again?" He asked with just as much uneasiness in his voice as was in his body. John was once again silent for a period before he gave his response in a calm and experienced voice. "Well, I don't know if I'll see you any time soon, but I know I'll see you at the Pokémon League. I'll see you at the Pokémon League where we'll battle for the title of champion. We'll battle Just like you always wanted." With a hopeful smile spread widely across his face, Stu agreed. The brothers walked together until they reached Route 101. They looked at each other, executed a nod, and parted ways. Each step that Stu took from that point onward was a step away from his brother and the legacy that followed him. From now on Stu would no longer be Stu, brother to a champion. He would cast that title away and build his own legacy. People would know him throughout the entire Hoenn region as Champion Stu because of his own talents and not relate him to those of his brother. Stu was certain that he would achieve greatness one day, but for now he would be Trainer Stu, the boy from Littleroot Town.


End file.
